Fancy a Visit to Chernobyl?

An estimated 200,000 workers known as "liquidators" were involved from the outset in containing and cleaning up the accident in 1986 and 1987. Made up of local police and fire service officers, the Army and volunteers, this number grew to more than 600,000 in later months.

An 30km exclusion zone was initially set up around the site and approximately 116,000 people were evacuated to less contaminated areas. The no-go zone was later widened and now covers 4,300 square kilometres.

Potassium iodide or iodate tablets were reportedly provided for over 5 million people. The town of Pripyat, home to the vast majority of the site's personnel, was completely evacuated and a new town, Slavutich, was constructed outside the exclusion zone.

In the years following the accident, an additional 210,000 people in the Republics of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia were evacuated from their homes under government orders and resettled in less contaminated areas.

Environment

Although some of the radioactive isotopes released into the atmosphere still linger, they are at tolerable exposure levels for limited periods of time.

Exposure to low but unusual levels of radiation over a period of time is considered to be less dangerous than exposure to a huge amount at once. Studies have been unable to link any direct increase in cancer risks to chronic low-level exposure.

Local Residents

Around 700 residents who used to live within the exclusion zone have decided to return to their homes of their own free will. They all live in areas with higher than normal environmental radiation levels, though these levels are not thought to be fatal.

A TripAdvisor member called A&L visited Chernobyl in 2006 and reported the following:

"On the way back we stopped at an elderly couples house, which have been able to re-settle their land. They took us within their house where the wife was complaining that she had to make her own bread, as it was too expensive to bring within. Despite what has happened to them, I feel they were the happiest people I have ever met - so content with their lives."

Visitors

According to the IAEA tourists can visit the Chernobyl area, including the exclusion zone which is a 30 kilometre radius surrounding the plant. There are some areas which are strictly off-limits due to high radiation levels but most visitors can get to wihin 200m of the reactor's sarcophagus.

More information including a list of relevant travel agencies and visitor information can be found on the WikiTravel Chernobyl Guide.

Visits Banned?

On 20th September 2011 the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper published an article which states that local authorities have halted visits to the site. Ukrainian prosecutors are investigating where the proceeds of the visits have been channelled to, since the purpose was to generate funds to help with the clean-up process. The newspaper claims investigators are checking "who was receiving the takings and how the money was being spent".

Photograph Courtesy of Pedro Moura Pinheiro on Flickr.